Avengers Assemble: Shadow Saga
by Brie Wild
Summary: Get ready to go on amazing adventures with earth's mightiest heroes. *I don't own Avengers Assemble*
1. Enter The Shadows

Manhattan at night. Everything seems to be peaceful. The streets are bustling as usual. But somewhere on the street, two thieves are pushing a car down the road. In a nearby ally, someone is watching the thieves from the shadows. Suddenly as the thieves are pushing the car, all four wheels glow purple and deflate.

-Thief 1: What the...

-Thief 2: How'd this happen?

-Thief 1: Wheels don't deflate just like that.

Suddenly, they hear a woman laughing, but they don't see anyone near them.

-Thief 2: Where's that laughing coming from.

-Thief 1: I don't know. You don't think this place haunted, do you?

-Thief 2: Don't be stupid. There's no such thing as ghosts.

-Voice: Hello, gentle thieves.

The thieves turn and see a girl in a black hoodie sitting on top of the car.

-Thief 1: Where'd you come from.

-Thief 2: Who are you?

The girl stands on the car.

-Girl: Someone that really doesn't like seeing things get stolen. So, why don't you make this easy on yourselves and get out of here while you still have the chance?

-Thief 2: What are you gonna do if we don't, huh?

The first thief grabs the girls arm.

-Thief 1: You think we're gonna take orders from a little girl?

-Girl: Guess we're doing this the hard way.

The girl grabs the first thief's wrist and flips him on to his back. The second thief lunges at the girl, but she steps out of the way and kicks him in the back. The first thief picks up a led pipe and swings it at the girl's head, but the girl grabs it.

-Girl: Not your best idea.

Her eyes glow purple and she starts conducting dark electricity through the pipe, electrocuting the thief and pushing into a wall. The second thief charges at her, but she projects a force field around him and thrusts him into the same wall. She then levitates the pipe and crushes it into a ball and walks up to the thieves and the look scared.

-Thief 2: Who... who are you?

-Girl: Call me Shadow Maiden.

She blasts them with dark energy.

The next day on the SHIELD tri-carrier, Shadow Maiden is watching the news.

-J. Jonah Jameson: Local law enforcement has found two crooks tied up together on top of a car this morning. One of the criminals has revealed that they were attacked last night by a mysterious woman in a black hoodie calling herself "Shadow Maiden". Whoever she is, she'd better watch her step. One false move and she's on my list of menaces right under Spiderman.

As Shadow Maiden turns her tv off, her best friend enters her room.

-Shadow Maiden: Hey, Sam.

-Sam: Hey, birthday girl. Just watched the news on my way here.

-Shadow Maiden: (sigh) Some of my finest work.

-Sam: That was just vigilante stuff. That's a good first step to becoming a real hero.

-Shadow Maiden: Whatever. I'm practically a real hero already.

-Sam: (chuckle) Okay, Cerise. Well, Director Fury needs us in the central bay.

Cerise nods and follows Sam to the central bay. When they enter the bay, it is dark inside. The lights immediately turn on and...

-Agents: SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CERISE!

Cerise smiles at the party around.

-Cerise: You guys!

Cerise's parents, Rey and Monica, walk up to her.

Rey has light skin, jade green eyes, and dark slick-back hair. Monica has white lightly tanned skin, light brown eyes, and long blonde hair. they are both wearing SHIELD uniforms.

-Monica: Happy birthday, darling.

-Rey: I'm so happy for you, my star.

-Cerise: Mom, Dad. Did you have something to do with this?

-Monica: Maybe just a little bit, honey.

-Rey: You deserve the best, Cerise.

-Director Fury: Happy Birthday, Agent Gail. I trust that the celebration is to your liking.

-Cerise: It is. Thank you very much, sir. I really appreciate it.

-Voice: I hope I'm too late.

Cerise sees hat Tony Stark has come to the party.

-Cerise: Tony!

-Tony: There's the birthday girl. Thought I'd drop by and give you my gift so I can your reaction.

Tony hands Cerise a decorative box. She opens it and sees…

-Cerise: A headband?

-Tony: A special headband. Your dad asked me to help make something one-of-a-kind for your birthday. It has a built-in scanner, and communicator. I even scanned your hero gear so it can materialize on you.

-Rey: I tested it myself. The purple crystal embedded in it is a parting gift from when I left Aromor. It will give you a power boost whenever you need it. I carried that crystal with me everywhere I go. And now, I give it to you so that I can be with you wherever you are.

Cerise hugs both Tony and Rey.

-Cerise: Best present ever!

-Tony: Happy birthday, kid.

The end


	2. Avengers Protocol: Part 1

The sun rises over New York City. In the SHIELD tri-carrier, Cerise wakes up to the alarm on her phone. She gets out of bed and gets ready for another day of SHIELD training. She exits her room and walks up to her best friend and fellow trainee, Sam.

-Cerise: Morning, Wilson.

-Sam: Morning, Gail.

-Cerise: What do you think's on the schedule today?

-Sam: Probably some field training. You know how Director Fury is.

-Fury: And how am I, Wilson.

Cerise and Sam turn to Nick Fury behind them.

-Cerise: Uh, we were just talking about how uncomparably strategic you are, sir.

-Fury: Flattery will get you nowhere, agents. Now, follow me to your training exercise.

-Cerise/Sam: Yes, sir.

Sam and Cerise follow Nick. Along the way, they walk past Rey and Monica.

-Rey: Good luck in training today, my star.

-Cerise: Thanks, dad.

* * *

Later at Avengers Tower, Tony is monitoring his former teammates.

-Tony: It's noon, got three hours a beauty rest. Man, it's been a while since I've seen any action. I wonder if any of the old gang needs their butts saved today.

He sees Thor battling monsters in a tundra.

-Tony: So Thor's bringing the thunder as usual. But what are his odds doing it solo? I'll bet 62% chance of...

Thor uses lightning to strike all the monsters. Then Tony switches to Hulk.

-Tony: Scratch that. Hulk. Nah, he's sitting at 96% smash probability.

Hulk sees the camera and reaches for it. The video switches to Hawkeye shooting arrows at a picture of Tony.

-Tony: Hawkeye definitely needs my help.

-JARVIS: Have you noticed how often you lose your bets with yourself? If I were keeping track, I believe you'd owe yourself $15 million.

-Tony: Don't worry, JARVIS. I'm good for every digital penny.

Tony looks at a video of Captain America.

-JARVIS: You could just contact them, sir.

-Tony: No, we broke up the band for a reason. And like I predicted, the earth is doing just fine without the Avengers. It's just that...

Suddenly, an alarm blares.

-Tony: That can't be right. Captain America can handle a bunch of HYDRA losers with one arm and a rolled-up newspaper. Red Skull. He's long dead.

-JARVIS: Satellites confirm a match of body telemetry. It is him, sir.

Tony suits up in his Iron Man armor.

-Tony: Upload those coordinates into my navigation and keep my eggs warm. Skull busting makes me hungry.

Tony blasts off to Cap's location.

-Captain America: New toys, same old HYDRA. I'm sorry you came all the way back from the dead to chalk up another loss, Skull.

-Red Skull: Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Red Skull whips out two guns and aims them at Cap.

-Iron Man: Just a few more seconds, Cap. I got your back.

Red Skull shoots a Cap, and he disintegrates leaving nothing but his shield.

-Iron Man: Cap! NOOOOOOO!

Iron Man shoots missiles at Skull, and he uses Cap's shield to block them.

-Red Skull: (coughs) So the Iron Man has a heart after all?

-Iron Man: Drop the shield, you animal!

-Red Skull: I think not. Consider it a symbol of a new dawn, and your demise.

Some HYDRA agents fly towards Iron Man.

-Iron Man: JARVIS, give me a pre-play simulation now!

-JARVIS: Pre-play simulation.

-Iron Man: Scans show their tech is hard-wired to their central nervous systems. HYDRA's never been that advanced. What happened to my pre-play sims, JARVIS?

-JARVIS: Already ahead of you, sir. As usual.

Tony flies towards Red Skull while his armor shoots missiles at the agents from behind.

-Iron Man: Those guys are gonna wake up with a headache.

-JARVIS: Armor breached. System failure.

Skull uses Cap's shield to knock Tony out of the air.

-Red Skull: You are just a fool in a machine, Stark! Without technology, you have nothing! No instinct for battle. No fire to lead! You hide behind armor so you don't have to make sacrifices for victory!

-JARVIS: Power is at 20%, sir. And you have a new problem teleporting in.

-Red Skull: Let me show you!

MODOK teleports in front of Tony.

-MODOK: Won't this be fun.

-Iron Man: MODOK? Since when does he team up?

MODOK uses his powers to levitate Tony.

-Red Skull: MODOK has graciously upgraded mt army. As you're well aware, his technopathic abilities work wonders with machines. Even your machines, Herr Stark. Enjoy your final painful moments on earth.

-MODOK: We have what we came for, Skull.

Skull and MODOK teleport away. After that, Tony looks down at Cap's ashes.

-Iron Man: Cap. JARVIS, activate "The Avengers Protocol."

Elsewhere, Hawkeye has defeated a thief.

-Hawkeye: Cops are coming, uh, so hang around.

As Hawkeye leaves the scene, a floating probe floats behind him, and he gets ready to shoot it

-Hawkeye: I'm already warmed up and I got the B.O. to prove it.

A hologram of Tony appears above the probe.

-Iron Man: Don't waste your arrow. It's time. I've activated the Avengers Protocol.

-Hawkeye: Yeah, right. Hilarious, Stark. Alright, where are the hidden cameras?

-Iron Man: This is legit. Code Alpha, Omicron, Omega. We need you Hawkeye.

Hawkeye looks up at the sky and sees a jet. Other message probes disperse to the other former Avengers.

-Iron Man: We all had our reasons for disbanding the Avengers. I bet some of you would count my winning personality as one of them. And the world did fine without us, but something's changed. You know my ego well enough to realize that I wouldn't send out this call if I could just whip up a suit of armor and make the bad things go away.

Hulk destroys his probe.

-Hulk: Puny Stark.

In the city, Sam, Cerise, and other SHIELD agents are training by hanging onto the side of a building.

-Iron Man: Whatever you two are doing, I guarantee it's nothing compared to this. Get to the mansion ASAP. Your team is waiting.

-Cerise: No Way!

The agents descend the building.

-Director Fury: Agents Wilson and Gail, I was told you two were tied for the top of your class! So why am I watching you just hang out there like Spider-Man after a late night? Agents, what's gotten into you two?

-Sam: Sorry Director Fury.

-Cerise: We just got a call from the big leagues!

-Director Fury: "Big Leagues?" Ha! And what do you think is bigger than SHIELD?

Cerise and Sam arrive at Avengers tower.

-Cerise: JARVIS, we're here.

-Sam: And I am completely geeking out that Tony sent a probe for me.

-Cerise: Uh, you mean us?

-Sam: Right, us, that's what I meant.

-Cerise: Sure it is, fanboy.

-JARVIS: Mr. Stark suggested you should wear the War Machine armor, while Ms. Gail wears the Stealth Armor.

-Sam: War Machine? I don't think so. I think it's time to give Project Red Wing its first test run.

Sam closes the pod with the War Machine Armor and opens another one with the Red Wing Armor. Then Cerise opens a pod with her own gear.

-Cerise: I'm giving Project Shade a try. And bring out my birthday present, JARVIS.

JARVIS opens a panel with a locked box in it.

-JARVIS: Arrogant and pigheaded. You'll make fine Avengers.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hawkeye and Thor are riding a jet to Avengers mansion.

-Hawkeye: Called you to, huh? Nothing big going on in Valhalla tonight?

-Thor: Yugensborg! A Norse tree-hurling competition and a festival the likes of which you can't even imagine. But never have I heard stark so serious.

A loud bang is heard from outside the jet.

-Hawkeye: Autopilot's out! Cross your fingers!

Hawkeye stabilizes the jet and sighs with relief.

-Hawkeye: Now you go hit whatever hit us!

-Thor: That suits me fine.

Thor looks outside and sees Hulk hanging on to the side of the jet.

-Thor: Hulk, you fool! You will kill us all!

Thor tackles Hulk off the jet and they fall towards Manhattan.

-Hulk: Did you just call me stupid?

Thor and Hulk crash near the mansion while Tony looks on from the inside.

-Tony: Some things never change.

Thor hits Hulk in the face with his hammer.

-Thor: Now this is a battle. It's been too long.

-Hulk: Too long. Like your hair.

Hulk's about to pounce on Thor, but then Hawkeye shoots a flash arrow at them.

-Hawkeye: Enough! You knuckleheads play tag and Manhattan gets a 9.0. earthquake. Thanks for reminding me why this didn't work last time.

Inside the mansion...

-Tony: Here's what's happening. The Avengers are reassembling. Handpicked by me, under my command.

-Hawkeye: Ha! You? You could lead a field trip to Vegas, maybe, but...

-Tony: No jokes. Not now. Cap is gone.

Tony pulls a tarp revealing a statue of Captain America. Thor and Hawkeye lower their heads while Hulk punches the wall.

-Tony: One of our own fell today, taken down by MODOK and the Red Skull. If they're together now, the world is at risk. Besides, we have a friend to avenge. Now I know you all have reasons to walk out that door, but I can't do this alone. Can we set the past aside and work together one last time?

-Thor: We are Avengers, and the world needs us.

-Hawkeye: You know me, point and shoot.

-Hulk: We gonna hug now, or can we go smash someone?

The Avengers take off in the jet. Outside, Black Widow is on the roof watching the jet take off.

-Black Widow: Keeping my distance for now, but it looks like the call I got wasn't a mistake. The Avengers are having a reunion. Black Widow out.

* * *

At Red Skull's lair, he is talking to Cap's shield as if he was talking to Cap himself.

-Red Skull: I'm sure you never imagined I would outlive you. (cough)

-MODOK: If you're done muttering to yourself, perhaps you should get to work.

-Red Skull: You have been useful, MODOK, but do not forget your place.

An alarm blares.

-Red Skull: So soon? I knew Stark would be angry. Good.

* * *

-Tony: I hacked into the satellite there is to trace the tachyon particles associated with teleportation.

-JARVIS: All data points to Antarctica.

-Hulk: Whatever gets us smashing faster!

Hawkeye flicks a container of mints into Hulk's mouth.

-Hawkeye: They're called mints. Try a dozen.

-Tony: Hawkeye!

-Hawkeye: What? I can't look for bad guys if I have to cut through his gamma breath to see them.

Hulk grabs Hawkeye and dangles him upside down outside the jet.

-Hulk: See anything now?

-Hawkeye: Hulk!

Hawkeye sees a blaster on the ground.

-Hawkeye: Actually, you just did me a favor, green bean. 8 o'clock!

The blaster shoots missiles at the jet. Thor jumps out and destroys the first, then Hawkeye shoots an arrow at the second one. More missiles are shot and one of them hits Thor.

-Hawkeye: Thor just got hammered. Step on it!

The jet flies faster as the missiles fly towards it. The jet starts firing laser blasts at the missiles

-Tony: I'm bringing us in close. Brace yourselves for...

-JARVIS: System breach. Mainframe override.

-MODOK: I thought you understood what a technopath does to machines, Stark. Whatever I want.

MODOK uses his powers to control the jet.

-Tony: Change of plans, guys. Looks like we're gonna need someone to avenge us.

MODOK causes the jet to explode.

-Tony: Everybody clear? Good!

Tony flies out of the explosion without a scratch.

-Tony: Okay, that's an "ouch". Apparently, MODOK's increased his range as well as his power levels. That stinks.

Hulk and Hawkeye are falling toward the ground.

-Hawkeye: (cough) You said it. Forget breath mints, Hulk. We're skipping to advanced showering.

-Hulk: I can still drop you.

-Thor: What is our plan to vanquish the Skull?

-Tony: Hit everything! Hard!

Tony takes off.

-Hawkeye: So the plan is "there is no plan". I thought he was the smart one.

-Hulk: I like that plan.

* * *

Meanwhile back at the tower, Sam is finished suiting up. Cerise walks out and shows her gear to Sam.

-Cerise: What do you think? Too much?

-Sam: No. You look great. The gear is definitely your style.

-Cerise: Thanks. Now for the final touch.

Cerise places her headband tiara on her forehead. The crystal on the headband glows as it turns Cerise's hair and her sclera purple.

-Cerise: Wow. I look magical.

-Sam: It really suits you.

-JARVIS: I have sent you Mister Stark's coordinates.

-Sam: Thanks, JARVIS.

Sam and Cerise stand outside the tower.

-Sam: This is it. Our first day as Avengers.

-Cerise: I know. It almost feels like a dream.

-Sam: Definitely a dream come true.

Sam and Cerise lower their visors and read the coordinates.

-Cerise: Ready to rock?

-Sam: Let's roll.

They bump fists and fly off to Antarctica.

* * *

HYDRA soldiers start attacking the Avengers, but the Avengers fight back.

-Thor: Asgard's favorite son will lead the fray, and I'll drop more minions!

-Hulk: Want to bet?

-Hawkeye: Hey, I'm fighting here!

Hulk grabs Hawkeye's arm.

-Hulk: Fight there!

-Hawkeye: Don't even think it...

Hulk throws Hawkeye a long distance. Hawkeye lands in front of more HYDRA agents.

-Hawkeye: I'm not with them.

Black Widow watches the battle with her binoculars.

-Black Widow: Typical. So this is what Stark in charge looks like? Oh, boy.

-Hawkeye: Want to rethink the non-plan, shell head?

-Tony: Trust me! Just shoot your little arrows and let me handle it. We have to find the Skull before...

MODOK captures Tony with his technopathy.

-MODOK: One dead avenger isn't enough? There is nothing you can build that I can't manipulate, Stark! I will...

Two flash grenades land in front of MODOK and go off blinding him.

-Tony: Tell me that was someone being fashionably late.

-Black Widow: It was. I just wanted to make sure you needed me before I accepted your invite. And of course, you do. No surprise.

-Red Skull: (on speaker) MODOK, time is now. Or all is lost.

-MODOK: As you wish.

MODOK and the HYDRA soldiers disappear.

-Black Widow: Is it true? About Cap?

-Tony: Yes.

-Black Widow: Then you'd better stop playing solo and actually lead this team before you lose more friends today.

-Tony: All right, as a team. MODOK's cloaked. I can't find a hair on his big ugly head. Ideas?

-Black Widow: Scan for the Skull. He's a super-soldier alumnus. His blood has trace isotopes that'll show up on a chemical scan.

-Hawkeye: I'm impressed.

-Black Widow: Of course, you are.

Black Widow punches a HYDRA agent without looking behind her.

-Tony: Accessing the super-soldier files, scanning for a chemical match. And there are two targets?

Tony flies into the base.

-Hawkeye: We had a plan... for a few seconds.

laser blasters appear out of the snow.

-Hawkeye: Uh-oh.

The Avengers run into the base and Hulk kicks a hole in the wall and places Widow and Hawkeye in it.

-Hulk: Next time you wanna complain about my breath, remember I just saved your li-

Hulk gets interrupted by a laser blast.

-Hawkeye: Sorry, I didn't get that last part. Automated defenses have us pinned down. We need some tech help, now!

-Tony: Rub your brains together and come up with a plan. I'm too close.

Tony blasts off the door to the control room and the door hits MODOK.

-MODOK: No!

-Tony: Knock, knock, MODOK.

Tony sees Cap and Skull strapped in a machine.

-Tony: Cap, you're alive!

He then blasts the machine

-Tony: I don't know what Skull's doing to you, but let's get you out of there.

-Cap: Iron Man?

Tony helps Cap out of the machine.

-Tony: You weren't fried, you were teleported. I can't believe I missed that. I'm glad to see you, buddy. This leadership thing is way harder then I thought. Welcome back.

Cap picks up his shield.

-Cap: So you left the rest of your team behind... for me?

-Tony: It sounds bad when you say like that. But... how did you know they were here?

-Red Skull: (in Cap's body) Fool!

Red Skull hits Tony in the head.

-Red Skull: (in Cap's body) As I said, you have no idea what it takes to be a leader of men. This body is mine!

Skull knocks Tony down with Cap's shield.

-Red Skull: (in Cap's body) You're not much of a futurist if you didn't see this coming, Herr Stark. I was dying. My body ravaged by the very serum that had given me such strength all these years. But why perish when there was an alternative? MODOK was the key. His power transferred my being into a body where the super-soldier serum actually worked. We left my hated to rot in my own walking corpse. I am the end of the Avengers!

-Cap: (in Skull's Body) This is gonna hurt me more than it hurts you.

Cap punches Skull hard.

-Tony: Cap, I hope that's you.

-Red Skull: (in Cap's body) Auf Wiedersehen.

Skull picks up a blaster and shoots it at Cap, but the shield protects him.

-Cap: (in Skull's body) You've avenged me, Tony. (cough) Now, lead them.

-Tony: JARVIS, have Sam and Cerise left the tower?

-JARVIS: Yes, they're on their way, but...

-Tony: Perfect. Then it's nap time for the big brain. You said before that I didn't understand sacrifice. Let's see if I've learned anything.

Tony activates his arc reactor and aims the blast at MODOK.

-MODOK: No! Don't let him!

Every electronic in the base turns off.

-Tony: Electromagnetic pulse shut down all the working tech in this base. Meaning your technopath can't do squat.

Tony falls to the ground because his armor is inactive.

-Tony: In your borrowed face.

-Red Skull: (in Cap's body) (laugh) Your armor is nothing but dead weight now. You did nothing but ensure your own demise!

Skull collects Cap's shield.

-Cap: (in Skull's body) I know you're the smart one, but that was pretty dumb.

-Tony: Wait for it.

Sam and Cerise arrive in Antarctica and fly past the HYDRA agents at full speed.

-Cerise: HYDRA base insight. Time to crash the party.

-Sam: Iron Man, we're here. And the suit is awesome.

-Tony: Hit Captain America, hard!

-Cerise/Sam: What?!

They exchange a look and then nod. Sam thrusts Cerise at Red Skull and she punches him hard.

-Cerise: I really hope there was a good reason for that, Tony.

-Sam: I've always wanted to meet Cap and launching my best friend at him is not a way to meet your hero.

-Tony: Brain switch, and I thought I was your hero. What happened to the War Machine and Stealth armors?

-Cerise: The Shadow Maiden gear just feels right.

-Sam: The Falcon armor is just cooler.

-Tony: "Falcon and Shadow Maiden", huh? Works for me.

Skull throws Cap's shield at Cerise and Sam, and they immediately move out of the way. Hulk's arm bursts through the door and catches Cap's shield. Then Hulk busts open the door and the rest of the team follows.

-Hawkeye: Cap?

-Tony: Not Cap, trust me.

Hawkeye aims an arrow at Sam and Cerise.

-Hawkeye: Who're the birdman and princess?

-Black Widow: They're Sam Wilson and Cerise Gail. SHIELD trainees. Been moonlighting for Tony in secret for months.

Cerise and Sam look at each other with confused looks.

-Black Widow: It's what I do. By the way...

Black Widow shows them a hologram of Nick Fury.

-Nick Fury: Wilson, Gail, you're both fired.

-Black Widow: Welcome to the Avengers.

-Falcon: Uh, thanks?

HYDRA soldiers come in and surround the Avengers.

-JARVIS: Power restored.

Tony gets back on his feet.

-Tony: Ah, that's the stuff. Systems are finally back online. That means... Avengers, assemble! You wanted a plan, here it is. Hulk, Thor, keep MODOK off balance. He can't concentrate, he can't take me out. Widow, Hawkeye, get Cap into the brain switch-a-roo thing. Falcon, Shadow Maiden, make the thing work. The Skull's mine. That an acceptable plan, Mr. Hawkeye?

-Hawkeye: I'll let you know when it works.

The team separates and takes out the HYDRA soldiers.

-Falcon: I'm gonna need some cover, Shadow Maiden.

-Shadow Maiden: You got it.

Shadow Maiden blasts streams of dark energy at the HYDRA soldiers.

-Hawkeye: Not bad, princess. I'm impressed.

-Shadow Maiden: Thanks.

-MODOK: I will have my vengeance, Stark! I was built to destroy!

-Thor: Together, then?

-Hulk: Why not?

Hulk and Thor create a sonic boom that slams MODOK into the wall.

-Tony: I guess you'll be sitting this one out. Are we good?

-Cap: (in Skull's body) Great.

-Red Skull: (in Cap's body)Pathetic! This ends now!

Tony blasts Cap's shield out of Skull's hands and Cap grabs him.

-Cap: (in Skull's body) I think you're right. You've scratched up my body enough.

-Falcon: Brain swapper's online, but not for long. It took a lot of damage when you pulsed it.

-Tony: Consider it on the job training and make it happen.

Tony straps Skull into the brain swapper.

-Red Skull (in Cap's body): You'll regret this, Stark!

Cap straps himself into the machine.

-Cap: (in Skull's body) I hate seeing me squirm. Finish it, would you, kid?

Falcon activates the machine switching Cap and Skull back into their own bodies.

-Cap: Much better, thank you. All of you.

Tony gives Cap his shield.

-Tony: Nobody messes with one of our own and gets away with it.

-Cap: Avengers forever.

-Hawkeye: Uh, don't dislocate your shoulder patting yourself on the back, fearless leader.

-Red Skull: "Leader"? All these years, all these battles, and I've been going about it wrong. Thank you, Stark, for showing me what I must become. MODOK!

MODOK uses his powers to create a barrier around Tony and tear his armor apart.

-Tony: My armor! What... what are you doing?

-Cap: Tony!

The other Avengers try to break the barrier down.

-Red Skull: If I cannot have his body to keep me alive... I will take yours.

MODOK takes Tony's armor off piece by piece and then rips his arc reactor out of his chest.

-Cap: Iron Man!

-Red Skull: Iron Man is no more! Long live the Iron Skull!

By the time the others break the barrier, MODOK, and Red Skull teleport away. The Avengers gather around a weakened Tony.

-Tony: Hey, Cap. Remember how far I went to pull your butt out of the fire? Your turn.

Tony smirks and then passes out.

To be continued...


	3. Avengers Protocol: Part 2

Outside in the Arctic, there are pieces of the jet on fire. Hulk bursts out of the ground.

-Hawkeye: Get us topside, Hulk!

Hulk grabs Widow and Hawkeye while the other Avengers come out of the hole.

-Hawkeye: Good Hulk. Next, we'll try to catch and play smash.

-Cap: Stay with me, Stark!

-Tony: How's a guy supposed to pass out in peace with you yelling like that?

-Cap: How's he holding up, Falcon and Shadow?

Falcon and Shadow Maiden scan Tony's body.

-Falcon: If he was a car, he'd be...

-Tony: A really cool sports car.

-Shadow Maiden: Running on fumes. He needs medical and tech now. Where's the Quinjet?

Hulk points at the flaming pieces of the Quinjet.

-Hulk: There, there, and, yeah, there.

-Thor: MODOK and the Red Skull met our arrival enthusiastically.

Suddenly, Black Widow's hovercar descends.

-Black Widow: I brought my own ride. Just promise not to rip the leather.

The Avengers get inside Widow's car.

-Hawkeye: It's crowded in here. Shouldn't those who can jump be outside? Jumping? Hulk?

-Black Widow: Deal with it. There's a NATO hospital in Reykjavik. 20 minutes if there's no traffic.

-Shadow Maiden: A hospital won't cut it. Tony's armor was the only thing keeping him alive. Specifically the arc reactor. Without it...

-Tony: Get me to the mansion.

-Falcon: You sure? I don't know if that's possible.

-Cap: Falcon, Shadow, welcome to the big leagues. Impossible is what we do.

Cap gestures to Thor outside the car.

-Thor: A wind tunnel? Aye, follow me!

Thor makes a wind tunnel with his hammer causing turbulence around the car.

-Tony: Hey, do I know how to pick a team or what?

Tony groans and passes out again.

-Shadow Maiden: Tony? Tony!

-Cap: Iron Man!

Falcon scans tony once more.

-Falcon: His vitals are dropping fast!

As soon as the car crashlands at Avengers mansion, they exit the car.

-Hawkeye: Practice landing much, Natasha?

-Cap: The lab! Go!

-Hulk: Twice in one day? Thought I was done with this dump.

-Hawkeye: Dump? Like you've seen nicer.

Hulk flicks Hawkeye away from him. In Tony's lab, Falcon plugs many wires into Tony's chest while Shadow Maiden waits for his signal near a switch.

-Falcon: Try not to die on my first day as an Avenger, Tony.

Falcon plugs in the last few wires and nods at Shadow Maiden.

-Shadow Maiden: Fingers crossed.

Shadow Maiden flips the switch and electricity pulses through Tony to heal him.

-Falcon: Come on, Tony! Come on!

Falcon nods at Shadow Maiden to flip the switch off. Tony sits up.

-Tony: That was something I would never wanna do again. Thanks for not electrocuting me on your first day as Avengers, Sam, and Cerise.

-Cap: He's not good with "thank yous". Great work, you two.

-Falcon: Could you repeat that into my phone? I wanna make it my ringtone.

-Shadow Maiden: (giggle) Real smooth, feathers.

-Tony: (chuckle) Rookies. JARVIS, the Mark 50, if you please.

-JARVIS: Sir, the Mark 50 is not ready.

-Tony: JARVIS, the Mark 50!

A structure comes out from the floor.

-Tony: Sam, Cerise, thank you. See, I can be nice. When I almost die.

-Falcon: Does that mean we get Avengers membership cards?

Shadow Maiden can't help but giggle.

-Hawkeye: Just what we needed, a Stark fanboy with delusions of grandeur.

* * *

In Iron Skull's submarine, he is admiring the armor he stole from Tony.

-Iron Skull: Stark's armor is an even greater prize than the captain's body. Wearing it not only keeps me alive, but it has also made me beyond flesh and bone.

-MODOK: Indeed. Iron Man is gone.

-Iron Skull: Iron Man? Have you learned nothing, MODOK? It isn't enough to beat one Avenger. To fully triumph, we must destroy all they represent. While they lick their wounds, we shall strike the Avengers where they live.

-MODOK: It would be unfortunate if they made it home with time to plan, yes. Then it's good that I sent them off with companions, isn't it?

* * *

Outside the mansion, a cloud of tiny robots floats inside. In Tony's lab, the Mark 50 armor assembles around his body.

-Hawkeye: Any idea what Stark's up to?

-Falcon: Nothing we've ever worked on. Which makes me totally jealous.

-Tony: The Mark 50. Prototype modular system. New armor smell and everything. In theory, more efficient, more powerful than any of my arc reactor models.

The armor accidentally blasts a hole in the wall.

-Hawkeye: "In theory" equals "untested". Classic.

-Tony: Details. I'll work it out. Soon as I do, I'll be smacking the red off of Red Skull.

-Cap: You mean "we".

-Tony: I didn't say "we".

-Black Widow: I know that look. It comes right before "it's not you, it's me".

-Tony: Look, Cap, I activated the Avengers protocol because I thought you were gone. You're back, I didn't croak, wins all around. So back to the grind, right?

-Hawkeye: Seriously, you rebooted the Avengers just to break us up again? Unbelievable.

Hawkeye and Widow exit the lab.

-Hulk: And people why I hate people.

-Thor: Mortals... fun, but too complicated.

-Cap: You're serious? After what we just survived?

-Tony: Looks that way.

While Thor and Hulk leave, Cerise and Sam share concerned looks. Hawkeye is in the main corridor looking at the statue of Cap.

-Black Widow: You missed this team, didn't you?

-Hawkeye: Me? No. I like doing my own thing. Yo soy solo. You?

-Black Widow: SHIELD sent me to keep an eye on you maniacs and make sure you don't blow up Manhatten.

-Hawkeye: Fair enough.

-Black Widow: Did you really believe that Tony Stark could play quarterback on a team of more than one?

-Hawkeye: For a minute, kinda did.

The small robots fly through the window undetected. Meanwhile in the training room...

-Thor: We had some grand battles in this training room, you and I.

-Hulk: You kept thinking you could knock me down.

-Thor: Did more than think, I think. What do you say? For old times?

Hulks steps on a button and the lights in the training room turn on.

-Hulk: Wouldn't wanna mess up that pretty hairdo.

While Hulk and Thor are sparring aggressively, some of the robots fly into Hulk's mouth and his eyes turn red.

-Hulk: Thor, get away!

-Thor: Admitting defeat? That's not like you!

Hulk Punches Thor repeatedly into the floor.

Back in the lab...

-Cap: Explain. And if you give me any of that Stark talk, I'll knock you out of that armor myself.

-Tony: I led the Avengers for a day, and I almost lost everyone.

-Shadow Maiden: "Almost" being the keyword.

-Cap: So you're scared. We all get scared, and we push through.

-Tony: I'm not afraid of what could happen to me, Cap. The Skull and MODOK almost got all of you. What if I lead you somewhere and I can't bring you back?

-Shadow Maiden: Again, "almost".

-Falcon: And that's our choice, isn't it?

Suddenly the Avengers feel the ground shaking. Thor and Hulk burst through the floor of the main corridor.

-Hawkeye: Guys, enough! He's strongest, you're prettiest, whatever!

-Black Widow: No, something's wrong.

Thor is now affected by the small robots.

-Thor: You dare touch the son of Odin? I'll tear you apart, monster!

Thor throws his hammer at Hulk, then Hulk throws part of a statue onto Thor.

-Hulk: You're not better than me! (roar) Hulk smash stupid avengers!

Hulk struggles to pick the hammer up, and he sinks through the floor.

-Black Widow: Funny?

-Hawkeye: Kind of.

Hulk jumps through the floor.

-Hulk: HULK SMASH YOU ALL! (roar) HULK SMASH!

-Black Widow: When did they invent Hulk-buster arrows?

-Hawkeye: They didn't.

Hawkeye shoots an arrow at Hulk, but he grabs. Then it flashes in his face.

-Hawkeye: Hulk-blinding. It's something.

Now Widow and Hawkeye are affected.

-Hawkeye: Oh, please.

Widow starts blasting Hawkeye.

-Black Widow: You make me sick. You're a washout. Undisciplined.

-Hawkeye: Better than being Fury's watchdog.

Hawkeye and Widow jump out the window.

-Black Widow: I hate you!

-Hawkeye: Hate you more!

The Avengers are now outside beating each other to a pulp.

-J. Jonah Jameson (on tv): I can't believe what I'm seeing... but just as we hear the Avengers may get back together, they're tearing one another apart on the front lawn.

Meanwhile, Red Skull and MODOK appear inside the mansion and watch the chaos.

-MODOK: As promised. Puppeteer Microtech. I control the machines, the machines control the Avengers.

-Red Skull: First we take Stark's heart, then we take his country apart. The Avengers will be our weapons.

In the lab, Cap, Tony, Falcon, and Shadow are watching the fight.

-Cap: We have to contain this. Falcon, Shadow, you're with me. Stay close.

-Tony: Hold on. Let me scan for... (blasts the monitor) That wasn't supposed to happen.

-Cap: You wanted a solo mission? Fix that armor.

Shadow, Falcon, and Cap exit the lab, but Falcon hangs back.

-Falcon: Don't do anything stupid, okay?

-Tony: You're fired.

-Falcon: For real?

-Tony: Go!

Falcon leaves to catch up with Cap, but Shadow stops him.

-Shadow Maiden: Sam, you go with Cap. I'm gonna search the mansion.

-Falcon: Search it for what?

-Shadow Maiden: I have a hunch that someone's behind this.

Shadow creates a barrier around her body.

-Falcon: What's that for?

-Shadow Maiden: Whatever's gotten into the others, I want no part of. Try to keep them from killing each other or anyone else.

-Falcon: I'll do my best.

Cerise disappears into the shadows. Back in the lab...

-Tony: JARVIS, tools.

While Tony repairs his armor, he scans the Avengers.

-Tony: What's going on here?

-JARVIS: Unusually high levels of aggression amongst the team, sir.

While Cap and Falcon get outside, the small robots fly into Cap's mouth.

-Cap: Avengers, get a hold of yourselves.

-Tony: That's it! Microbots. Taken in through the respiratory system. Sending signals to the brain. (over radio) Falcon, you don't have a face mask. Get out of there. MODOK's work.

-Falcon: MODOK? Where...

After Falcon gets affected by the microbots, Cap hits him in the face with his shield.

-Cap: Come on, soldier. Think you're anything more than Stark's prized parakeet?

-Falcon: Better than you'll ever be, old man!

While the Avengers continue to fight, Red Skull makes his way the boiler room and finds the generator.

-Red Skull: Perfect. For it is not enough to destroy the Avengers. You must destroy everything they stand for.

Red Skull exits the boiler room after attaching a device to the generator.

-Shadow Maiden: Just as I thought. This whole situation has Red Skull written all over it.

-Red Skull: (smirk) Fraulein Gail. I see that you have grown since we last met. You and I have unfinished business, do we not?

-Shadow Maiden: We do. And I'm gonna finish it right now!

Shadow blasts dark energy at Skull, but he dodges and launches himself at her and they start fighting.

-Red Skull: As you can plainly see, my dear, during my alleged demise, I have been biding my time. Getting stronger with every passing moment. While you have been wasting your talents at SHIELD.

-Shadow Maiden: You can keep telling yourself that to help you sleep at night, but all you're doing is copying Tony with his armor!

Shadow kicks Skull in the jaw.

-Shadow: And my talents are anything but wasted.

Shadow tackles Skull through the wall and Skull kicks her off. Shadow bounces off the wall and lunges at Skull. He grabs her and swings her into the wall.

-Red Skull: It has been lovely catching up with you, Fraulein Gail, but I have other matters to attend to.

Back outside...

-Black Widow: You ran from SHIELD. We can't count on you.

-Hawkeye: Me? Everyone knows you're a two-timing traitor!

-Cap: Go back to your day job, kid. You don't deserve this.

-Falcon: Says the responsible for Tony being hurt.

-Thor: Fight bigger! Beat worse!

Thor and Hulk fight toward the gate where a crowd of civilians is taking pictures of the fight.

-Thor: You will fall, monster!

Hulk roars and scares the crowd away.

-J. Jonah Jameson: It's absolute chaos out here as Hulk and Thor are...

-Tony: He could've had them level the mansion. MODOK wants them outside. JARVIS, scan for any sign of MODOK and Red Skull.

-JARVIS: Scanning. And finding... nothing.

-Tony: Of course not. MODOK has them cloaked. Search for missing or distorted data.

Tony sees MODOK in the foyer and Red Skull in the hallway fighting Shadow.

-Tony: There we go. Time to do something "stupid".

Back in the foyer...

-MODOK: Oh, this is fun. I wish I'd invented this technology sooner.

-Tony: Hey, MO.Dork.

Tony blasts MODOK outside.

-Tony: Get off my lawn. A concentrated E.M.P ought to do the trick.

Tony blasts the Avengers in the forehead with the E.M.P returning them to normal.

-Hawkeye: What... what just happened? Was I about say Cap's shield made his head look small?

-Black Widow: Mind control, obviously. And P.S, there's something very wrong with you.

Hulk picks up Tony by his head.

-Hulk: What happened?

-Tony: MODOK. Microbots. Mind control. Me. Mend. Miracle. If you wanna smash someone, MODOK's right behind you.

While Tony flies away, Hulk gets ready to pound MODOK.

-Tony: Keep your comms open, guys. We're gonna need a team effort here.

-Falcon: He said "team". Sweet.

Back inside the mansion, Red Skull tosses Shadow into Tony's lab.

-Red Skull: Perhaps Stark left behind a few secrets.

-Tony: Aren't you done stealing my toys?

After Tony blasts Skull through the wall and into the foyer, he notices Shadow Maiden getting back to her feet.

-Tony: Cerise, did you know that Skull was in the mansion?

-Shadow Maiden: I had a hunch.

Shadow and Tony fly into the foyer and the other Avengers join them.

-Cap: You work out the kinks?

-Tony: Actually, no. That repulsor was about all I had until I can recharge. Of course, now that you're here...

-Cap: You lead. I'll follow.

-Tony: With each maneuver, I'm gathering more intel on his tweaks to my hijacked tech. Hawkeye, short out his armor.

Hawkeye shoots an arrow at Skull's shoulder. Skull shoots a laser at Hawkeye, but Cap throws his shield to protect him.

-Tony: Nice, Cap. Widow, your turn.

-Black Widow: For someone who sent us packing, you're awfully liberal with the orders.

Widow tosses three circular grenades at Skull's feet, and they explode.

-Tony: Who else was gonna save you from yourselves? Thor, he's wide open! Hammer time.

Thor throws his hammer right at Skull's midsection.

-Tony: Shadow, Falcon, these are SKull's armor specs. Show him what two rookies can do.

Falcon flies up and shoots wing blades at Skull. Then Shadow punches him in the air and stomps him into the ground.

-Shadow Maiden: THat felt great.

-Cap: Careful. Keep leading like that and we might actually stick together.

-Red Skull: Yes, let Stark lead you to your final glorious moments. The game is over before it has even begun. I took your armor. I will take your lives. And take your honor by leaving a scar on this nation that will forever be blamed on the Avengers!

After Skull disappears, the device on the generator explodes causing the mansion to shake.

-Thor: What was that?

-Tony: That was the mansion reactor. Not a good boom.

The mansion starts falling apart. A bright beam shoots into the sky.

-Shadow Maiden: Skull and MODOK disabled all of the reactor's safety systems.

-Falcon: Energy discharges have escaped the shields. Multi-phase generators are falling out of synchronicity.

-Hawkeye: Uh, less geek speak, please, guys.

-Tony: In 90 seconds, the reactor blows, Manhattan becomes the world's biggest skate bowl, and we'll have a serious P.R problem.

Cap: Really? Now?

-Tony: Joking in the face of certain death is part of my charm.

-Black Widow: So is being a super genius. Think Einstein. 80 seconds.

Tony scans the beam.

-Tony: Falcon, we need a coil gun that can fire a small sun. You and Lightning Rod are the barrels. Lots of speed, lots of electricity.

-Falcon: Try to keep up and get ready to bring the thunder.

-Thor: He has your spark. I like him.

Thor and Falcon fly off.

-Tony: Anyone not shielded by armor or gamma-irradiated skin should probably clear the area of civilians.

Widow, Hawkeye, and Cap exit the mansion to get civilians to safety.

-Tony: Shadow, I'll need your help on this. Hulk, time to get angry.

-Hulk: My favorite time of day.

Outside, Thor and Falcon and flying through the vortex.

-Falcon: It's physics, risky physics. Tony's betting we can contain the force of the explosion and direct it into space like a bullet from a gun at 3000 miles per minute. Does that sound crazy?

-Thor: Yes, and also like great fun.

-Falcon: Let's do this, then.

Thor and Falcon fly around the beam at break-neck speed. Back in the boiler room...

-Tony: Good and angry?

-Hulk: I'm always angry!

Hulk picks up the reactor.

-Tony: Hard as you can throw it. Straight into the vortex, green guy!

Hulk throws the reactor into the sky. Tony and Shadow nod at each other and shoot a repulsor beam and a dark energy beam at the reactor causing it to go into space and causing the vortex to fade.

-Falcon: Saving New York with science is... cool.

Falcon faints and falls.

-Thor: Have songs sung about your bravery is even cooler. Falcon?

Thor grabs Falcon in time.

-Thor The songs shall wait till you wake.

The Avengers gather outside and look at what's left of the mansion.

-Hawkeye: I had stuff, you know, really, really expensive stuff.

-Tony: Your comic books? I had them moved to storage 3months ago.

-Hawkeye: Oh, Okay. We're... we're cool, then.

Thor and Falcon join the others. Shadow flies to Sam.

-Shadow Maiden: Pass out?

-Falcon: A little.

-Shadow Maiden: Not bad. For a rookie.

-Falcon: You weren't too bad yourself. For a vigilante.

Falcon and Shadow fist bump.

-Hulk: So, that's it? The mansion's gone, bad guys are gone, Avengers gone?

The Avengers all stare at Tony.

-Tony: Let's talk.

* * *

Back in Skull's submarine...

-MODOK: We collected more data. We know more about their weaknesses. we should strike now before they have time to regroup and attack us.

-Red Skull: Enough!

Skull blasts MODOK.

-Red Skull: Stark stands with giants! I must do the same if I am to succeed.

Skull sends message orbs to different supervillains.

-Red Skull: If you are receiving this signal, consider it a sign of my respect and a call to arms. Time and again, we have been kept from our rightful place by these so-called Avengers because we are unable to put aside petty differences. If you want your fates to change, if you want the world to tremble before you, stand at my side. Join my cabal. And we will destroy the Avengers, together.

* * *

Later at Stark tower...

-Tony: The Skull almost took us out by teaming with MODOK. Which means he's gonna try again, but with bigger and badder allies.

-Hawkeye: Your robo-butler tell you that?

-Tony: No, Skull did. SHIELD intercepted one of these love letters and passed along the message. He's building a cabal of equals to do what he can't alone.

-Falcon: Just like you guys... us guys. Only, you know, evil. Hmm.

-Shadow Maiden: Well said, Sam.

-Tony: Thanks for clarifying. Point is if the who's who of bad guys R.S.V.P to Skull's revenge party, the world will be facing threats of a whole new magnitude. Threats that only we can face, the Avengers.

-Hawkeye: And your way to keep us together is a superhero sleepover boot camp?

-Cap: In the army, we worked together, trained together, lived together.

-Tony: Right, only this isn't the army.

The Avengers now stand in the living room.

-Tony: This is our new home, courtesy of Stark Industries.

-Cap: Tony, I was thinking of something more spartan, bare essentials.

-Falcon: Beats my quarters at SHIELD, which I lost when I got fired, by the way.

-Thor: I have all of Asgard as my home, and you would confine me to this... shack?

-Black Widow: Well, I'll be in the ladies room. Wait, there is no ladies room. Problem.

-Tony: Big picture, guys. If you believe a small group of us working together can make a difference...

-Shadow Maiden: We just proved that saving New York.

-Cap: The real question is. if we follow, will you lead?

-Tony: You have my word, no backsies this time.

The room starts shaking and Hulk comes in with a lot of food.

-Hulk: I'm in. Oh, by the way, something's wrong with your fridge.

-Hawkeye: At least SHIELD has indestructible doors, right Widow?

Everyone looks and Black Widow is nowhere to be found,

-Hawkeye: The disappearing Black Widow, everyone. Here, then not. This is gonna be a disaster.

Suddenly, the alarm goes off.

-JARVIS: Lady and gentlemen, the great wall of China just stood up and is smashing towards Beijing. Interested?

-Tony: Avengers assemble!

The Avengers get ready to go to China.

-Tony: JARVIS, engage Aven-jet Prime.

-Falcon: What's an "Aven-jet Prime"?

-Tony: You're standing in it.

A large panel in the tower comes down revealing the Aven-jet Prime.

-Falcon: This is the best day of my life. WHOO!

Falcon and Shadow high five.

-Cap: Show off.

-Tony: What? your house doesn't do this?

The Avengers blast off to China. And thus begins the first day of the rest of their lives.

The End


	4. Ghost Of A Chance

At the Gail household, Cerise is packing some of her stuff in a duffle bag. Rey and Monica approach her as she prepares to leave.

-Rey: You have come such a long way, my star. And now, you will make your dream come true.

-Monica: We're so proud of you, Cerise. Just remember, you might be living with the Avengers, but you'll always have a home with us.

-Cerise: I know, mom.

Cerise hugs her parents and then flies through a portal. She appears outside in her hero gear and flies off. When she sees Sam's house, she disappears and reappears in her civilian clothes. She knocks on the door and Sam's mother, Darlene, answers it.

-Cerise: Hi, Mrs. Wilson. Is Sam ready?

-Darlene: Of course, sweetie. Come on in. And I told you, you can call me Darlene.

-Cerise: Sorry, Darlene.

-Sam: Hey, Cerise.

Sam enters the living room with a duffle bag and a box of his mother's cookies.

-Sam: You ready to go.

-Cerise: I've been ready since this morning.

Darlene takes a picture of the duo with her phone.

-Darlene: Sorry, I had to do it. I'm just so happy that my son is gonna be an official SHIELD liaison for the Avengers.

Sam checks his phone for the time.

-Cerise: A SHIELD li—

-Sam: Whoa! Look at the time. Sorry, mom. We need to go. Don't wanna be late. Love you.

Sam rushes Cerise out the door.

-Darlene: Good luck, you two.

Outside the house, Sam signs in relief.

-Cerise: Dude. Really?

-Sam: I know, but you know she gets when it comes to something dangerous.

-Cerise: Yeah, I get it. Just get dressed so we can get going.

-Sam: Sure thing.

After Sam gets dressed, he and Cerise are flying to Avengers Tower.

-Sam: Hurry up, Shadow. We're gonna be late.

-Cerise: I'm flying as fast as I can, birdie.

-Voice: Well, someone's in a rush.

The duo looks around and Iron Man flying under them.

-Sam: Ahh, Tony!

-Iron Man: Hello.

-Sam: I hate it when you do that.

-Iron Man: I know. What's in the box? A bomb? Let me jet it into the exosphere for you.

Tony takes the box out of Falcon's hand.

-Cerise: That's not a bomb.

Tony turns around.

-Tony: Rare vaccine for a plague-stricken village?

-Sam: No.

-Tony: Huh. Well, it must not be very important then.

Tony drops the box and the duo dives for it.

-Cerise/Sam: Tony!

-Tony: Evidence that can save a wrongly condemned man?

-Cerise: No.

Falcon takes back the box, but Tony grabs it.

-Tony: Really? Now you've got me interested.

When they reach Avengers Tower, Falcon grabs the box from Tony.

-Falcon: Will you quit it? I'm nervous enough as it is.

-Cerise: Yeah. This is a big deal.

-Tony: (chuckle) What? Move-in day? Guys, I had your stuff shipped in hours ago.

-Falcon: The morning briefing. We're 10 minutes late.

-Tony: Seriously? I never get to those things on time. Takes Cap half an hour just to make coffee. Huge yawn.

-Falcon: That's you. We're new. (sigh) Do I look calm?

-Tony: You've got wing pit stains. Guys, relax. You're here for a reason. Trust me, everyone is very cool at these things.

In the meeting room, the team is watching a video of Hulk throwing part of a building on top of Dr. Doom.

-Cap: All right, Avengers. Strategically, Hulk has 6 options that we've trained for.

Cap is interrupted by Tony, Sam, and Cerise walking into the room. Cerise removes her tiara and levitates it next to her.

-Sam: Sorry we're late.

When they approach the table, Hulk starts sniffing the air.

-Hulk: What's in the box, little bird?

-Sam: My mom made cookies.

-Cerise: They're really good.

-Sam: A little embarrassing. She didn't want me to show up empty-handed.

Hulk eats 2 handfuls of cookies.

-Hulk: Keep them coming.

Thor comes up and gets a cookie.

-Black Widow: Dibs on that last oatmeal.

Black Widow shoots a dart at the cookie knocking it out of Thor's hand. Soon, Thor, Hulk, and Widow start fighting over the cookie.

-Tony: Let's get you two settled in while they work this out.

Tony pushes the duo out of the room, and then bump into Hawkeye.

-Hawkeye: Who are you?

-Cerise: Shadow Maiden. New girl.

-Sam: Falcon. Also new. We kicked Red skull and MODOK's butts together.

Hawkeye continues to glare at them.

-Tony: Ah. that Hawkeye sense of humor. Don't quit your day job.

Hawkeye shoves past the group.

-Tony: He's just pulling your legs. Or he woke up on the wrong side of the man cave. Either way, ignore him.

As the group walks down the hall, Cerise looks back at Hawkeye because she feels like something's wrong.

-Sam: This still doesn't feel real.

-Tony: Oh, it'll be very real once we go through all of the official stuff. I'll teach you the secret handshake.

-Sam: There's a secret handshake?

Cerise can't help but laugh at Sam's response.

-Tony: Note to self: Does not get sarcasm.

-Sam: You're loving every minute of watching me geek out, aren't you?

-Tony: A little.

-Cerise: It never gets old. Believe me.

The group stops in front of a door and Tony opens it.

-Tony: Welcome to your room, Cerise.

The group enters a room that has boxes of Cerise's things stacked against the wall, and a circle bed against a window wall.

-Cerise: Sweet! I've always wanted a room like this.

-Sam: Should I be jealous that your room might be better than mine?

-Cerise: Come on. You know how claustrophobic. This is perfect.

-Sam: That's fair.

The group continues down the hall and enter another room with clutter.

-Tony: Here are your quarters, Sam.

-Sam: This is my room?

-Tony: Yeah, I know. But I was working late in the lab and needed space.

-Sam: So do I.

-Tony: Unless you know how to juggle unstable particles without tearing a hole in the universe, it's gonna have to wait. This time, I'm not kidding.

-Sam: So what do I do if moving in is on hold?

-Tony: You two are Avengers now. So go on, new kids, mingle.

Hulk walks by and glances at Sam and Cerise.

-Sam: Maybe I should move the unstable particles instead.

* * *

Hawkeye walks into Tony's lab and sees a machine in the middle.

-JARVIS: Master Barton, surely you received the memo that the arc reactor is not for popping your kettle corn.

-Hawkeye: I'm here to pop something else.

Hawkeye jams an arrow into JARVIS's panel. He then activates the machine and it opens a portal for purple specters to walk through it.

-Specter: More cannot come across until we secure the portal.

-Hawkeye: There are two more than we planned for.

-Specter: Will the humans impede our progress?

-Hawkeye: No. The male insignificant, but the female shows promise. Distract him until. If he becomes a nuisance, destroy him.

* * *

The group continues the tour.

-Tony: Thor's room.

-Sam: So, we just walk in?

-Tony: He doesn't bite.

-Cerise: He has a hammer.

-Tony: Yeah, watch out for that.

-Sam: Um, any explanation for being bigger on the inside than the outside?

-Cerise: Yeah. This makes my room look like a big broom closet.

-Tony: Asgardian interdimensional decorating. That's all I got until I figure it out. I hate it when I don't know things.

The group steps back when Thor is tackled by a ferocious beast.

-Cerise: Uh, we should help, right? I feel like we should help him.

-Thor: Don't worry, bilgesnipes love to wrestle. Especially on Earth.

-Tony: We're gonna see who else is available. You just go on with your Viking thing.

The group backs out of Thor's room.

-Thor: I am not a Viking!

-Tony: Hawkeye's always good for a fight. Let's see what he's up to.

-Thor: Falcon, have you more cookies?

Suddenly, one of the specters grabs Thor. Later, the group arrives at Hawkeye's room which is a big mess.

-Cerise: Ew.

-Sam: Okay.

-Tony: Isn't hygiene training standard at SHIELD?

-Sam: For a guy with perfect aim, he can't hit a garbage can, can he? Where is he?

Tony checks the holographic blueprints of the tower.

-Tony: In the lab. I swear if he's making popcorn again. I gotta go. Try Hulk. He's a great sparring partner.

-Sam: Us? Spar the Hulk? Know I know your kidding.

Sam and Cerise exit the room while Tony flies to his lab.

-Cerise: I'm gonna go mingle on my own. Good luck with Hulk.

Cerise and Sam go in separate directions. Later Sam stands in front of Hulk's room.

-Sam: (sigh) Squashed by a humungous green foot. Not how I thought I'd go out.

Sam knocks on the door and it slowly opens.

-Sam: Uh, Hulk. maybe I'll just go a few rounds with JARVIS. Like at chess.

The lights turn on and reveal a very clean room with a small waterfall and multiple shelves with glass figurines on them.

-Sam: This must be Natasha's room. No way it's Hulks. Looks like my mom cleaned it.

Sam walks up to one of the shelves and picks up a figurine.

-Sam: Why Natasha. Who knew you were the glass animal type. Cute.

Suddenly, Sam feels Hulk's presence behind him and he puts the figurine back on the shelf.

-Hulk: To the right.

Sam adjusts the figurine.

-Hulk: We don't talk about this. Ever.

Sam backs out of the room in fear.

-Cap: Been looking for you.

Sam gasps when he hears Cap's voice.

-Cap: I was about to start a round of training. Do you want in?

-Sam: With you? Yes. Definitely. Now.

-Cap: Enthusiasm, nice. How do you like the tower so far?

-Sam: Not what I expected.

While Cap and Sam walk down the hall, another one of the specters goes into Hulk's room.

* * *

Elsewhere, Tony continues to fly to his lab.

-Tony: JARVIS, respond. I didn't program you to take coffee breaks.

Tony enters the lab and sees Thor and Hawkeye tampering with the machine that created the portal.

-Tony: Gentlemen. Did someone call a meeting of the "Break Tony's Stuff" committee? We do not play with the big boy equipment in the house of Stark.

Hawkeye and Thorglare at Tony. He lowers his faceplate to scan them and he discovers them to be two of the purple specters in disguise.

-Tony: Oh boy.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cerise is walking in the hall thinking about which avenger to talk to.

-Cerise: (thinking) Hawkeye, I'll talk to him when he's in a better mood. Hulk, definitely no. Thor, maybe. Captain America, probably. That just leaves...

Cerise feels a hand on her shoulder and her instincts kick in. She grabs the hand and spins around with a high kick. She sees that Black Widow put her hand on her shoulder.

-Black Widow: Nice reaction. Just as I expected.

-Cerise: Natasha, I'm sorry.

-Black Widow: Don't be. I'm used to it. I remember seeing you sparring on the tri-carrier and I wanted a closer look.

-Cerise: Me? Spar you? I can't. You're one of the most deadly assassins in the world.

-Black Widow: And I earned that title by learning about my opponents. For example, you've gained a budding intellect during your time with HYDRA.

Cerise gasps at the statement.

-Cerise: How do you know about that?

-Black Widow: I read your file. Half-human and half-alien, born and raised in SHIELD, studied at the Xavier Institute. You quite the resume.

-Cerise: You are good. But could you please not tell anyone about the HYDRA part? I don't want the other avengers to think any less of me.

Black Widow walks into her room.

-Black Widow: I won't say a word as long as you don't hold back when we spar. But we should until Cap is finished with his workout.

-Cerise: Deal.

As Cerise is about to walk away, she hears Black Widow screaming.

-Cerise: Um, Widow?

Black Widow walks out. But Cerise doesn't know that it's one of the specters disguised as Natasha.

-Specter Black Widow: I'm going to enjoy this.

Widow shoots her widow bites at Cerise, but she protects herself with a dark energy shield.

-Cerise: If you didn't want to wait for a sparring session, you just had to tell me!

Widow pounces at Cerise, then Cerise grabs her tiara and runs away.

* * *

Earlier in the training room, Falcon and Captain America are having their sparring session.

-Cap: Good. Don't stay so focused on your forward drive that you forget your flanks.

Cap throws his shield at Falcon and then it ricochets off the walls.

-Sam: Would it be wrong to say how surreal this is. I just wanna fit in. But I feel like any minute, someone's gonna say April Fools.

Pillars emerge from the floor as they continue sparring.

-Cap: What you're feeling is normal, Sam. But don't worry, I've studied your bio and fought at your side.

Cap runs behind a pillar and then one of the specters appears.

-Cap: Truth is...

-Specter Cap: I don't think you can cut it.

-Sam: Thanks. That means the... wait, what?

-Specter Cap: Fly home, birdie. While you still can.

-Sam: Cap, I don't...

Specter Cap throws Sam against the wall. Then he breaks the panel outside the door causing to close. Sam blows the door down and runs down the hall.

-Sam: I may be having first day jitters, but that's not Cap. Tony, something weird's going on. Tony?

Suddenly, Cerise crashes into Sam.

-Sam: Cerise?

-Cerise: Sam! Something's seriously wrong here!

Specter Widow starts shooting at the duo. Sam dodges the bites

-Sam: Black Widow, you too?

-Cerise: "Her too"? It's not just Widow acting off?

-Sam: No. Cap attacked me earlier after our sparring session. Maybe MODOK and Skull are up to their body-swapping tricks.

-Specter Widow: Thought you wanted to spar.

-Sam: Someone wanna tell us what's going on here?

-Tony: Get down!

Tony flies in and blasts Specter Widow.

-Tony: Stunded faces later. Right now, follow me.

Sam and Cerise fly off to follow Tony.

-Specter Widow: Hurry, we're compromised.

The trio enters the lab.

-Tony: Throw the switches. We're locking down the tower.

-Cerise: Tony, what's going on?

-Sam: I was hoping this was like a prank for our first official day on the job.

-Tony: The exploding cake was going to be the prank. This is an invasion.

Sam flips some switches.

-Sam: Exploding what?

-Tony: Switch your heads-up displays to ultraviolet. 1-9-8 nanometer range.

Cerise and Sam lower their visors and see a big specter behind Tony.

-Cerise/Sam: Tony!

The specter Hulk punches Tony into the duo.

-Specter Hulk: How does he say it? Oh, yes. Hulk smash.

The trio flies out of the lab and Specter Hulk gives chase.

-Cerise: What are these things?

-Tony: If I knew, they'd be gone.

Specter Hulk bursts through the wall and blocks their path.

-Specter Hulk: Surprise.

-Tony: Don't hold back. It isn't mind-control. That's some kind of copy.

The trio blasts Specter Hulk with everything they have.

-Sam: Like a clone?

-Tony: It's beyond cellular. Every atom in his body has been displaced by an identical packet of dark energy that's completely different from Shadow's powers.

-Cerise: Displaced? As in sent somewhere else? Where?

Specter Hulk smacks Sam and Cerise away and grabs Tony.

-Specter Hulk: You'll learn soon enough. Now, brother!

-Sam/Cerise: Tony!

One of the specters snatches Tony and takes his place.

-Specter Tony: Falcon's nothing. Finish him quickly so we can bring the others across. Then Shadow Maiden will be the next one to be assimilated.

-Sam: Others? There are more of you?

The specters attack Sam and Cerise and they fly down the hall.

* * *

In another dimension, the avengers are in front of a wall of portals trying to escape. Then Tony is teleported near them.

-Tony: If that wasn't so unpleasant, I'd be really impressed.

-Cap: Mind explaining what's so impressive about it?

-Tony: An alien life form that doesn't have a body, copies one, and then sends the original away apparently to a dark matter dimension? That's pretty elegant for a parasite.

-Hawkeye: Somedays, I'm glad I'm not a super genius. I'd rather be mad someone hacked into my body.

Tony walks up to one of the portals and sees Specter Hulk chasing Sam and Cerise.

-Black Widow: We've been watching the hostile takeover from these windows.

-Tony: Probably how they studied us. A small transdimensional rift.

-Black Widow: And that, Mr. Genius?

Widow points to one of the portals that shows the specter avengers working on the machine from earlier.

-Tony: That is very bad. Hulk, do your thing.

-Hulk: Been doing it! They don't smash!

-Black Widow: Don't even make any noise.

-Hawkeye: Uh, you sure? Because I hear something.

More of the specters walk down the path to the wall of portals and the avengers get ready to fight.

* * *

Back at the tower, Sam and Cerise try their best to avoid Specter Hulk, but he keeps blocking their path. They open an elevator door, fall down the shaft, and fly near a door.

-Sam: They're all gone. It's just you and me, Shadow.

-Cerise: We get them back, Falcon. No matter what.

The duo clasps their hands together and nod. Sam checks the panel on the side for anything related to the specters.

-Sam: Finances, automation, finances, finances. All that money and he couldn't afford to give me a bigger room?

-Cerise: We'll talk to him about it when we get him back.

-Sam: Bingo. Surveillance archives.

A video of Tony making a video diary in his lab comes up.

-Tony: (on video) So I'm poking around with the fabric of the universe, and I found this sort of limbo where dark matter seems to pool.

-Sam: Limbo? Do not investigate.

-Tony: (on video) I'm gonna investigate.

-Cerise: Of course he is.

-Tony: (on video) JARVIS, put all this junk someplace, will you?

-Sam: Yeah, my room.

-Cerise: Gripe later. Fast forward. Display the U.V. spectrum.

In the video, a portal opens behind Tony and a specter walks through it.

-Sam: He cracked open a door.

-Cerise: And they wanna break it down to bring more through.

Specter Hulk bursts through the elevator door and tackers the duo through the wall in Hulk's room.

-Specter Hulk: For two insignificant humans, you've been quite annoying.

-Sam: Not annoying. We're avenging.

Sam releases two flash grenades to blind Specter Hulk. Sam stumbles back, knocks a figurine off the shelf, and catches it just in time.

-Sam: In case I actually survive this, I don't want the real Hulk to kill me.

The duo exits Hulk's room.

-Cerise: Wait, that was Hulk's room?

-Sam: Weird right?

They run down the hall, but Specter Cap blocks their path. They run the other way, but Specter Thor blocks them. Sam and Cerise stand back to back ready to fight.

-Specter Thor: Your resistance amounts to less than nothing. We've absorbed life forms in countless dimensions.

-Specter Cap: But we coveted this one more than any other. So rich with life, so many forms for our brethren to assimilate.

-Sam: And the avengers were the only force that could've stopped you so we were the first to be assimilated.

-Specter Cap: We're just trying to fit in. You know how that feels.

-Cerise: Whatever. We will stop you.

-Specter Cap: There is no "we".

Specter Tony flys in and tackles Sam into the training room.

-Cerise: Sam!

Cerise tries to help, but a specter grabs Cerise from behind and switches places with her.

-Specter Cerise: Shall we begin, brothers?

Specter Tony grabs Sam.

-Specter Tony: Nice try. We can mimic organic and tech materials. This armor is identical to the original.

-Sam: But the guy inside is just a cheap copy who doesn't know the breaking flap override is right here.

Sam activates the breaking flap override on the armor to get Specter Tony off of him. Sam then flies down the hall and shoots Specter Hulk and makes a hole in the wall.

-Specter Thor: He'll bring reinforcements.

-Specter Hulk: Let him.

-Specter Cerise: Yes. By the time they come, we'll need the bodies.

* * *

Back in the dark matter dimension...

-Cap: We got company. They are ugly.

Cerise teleports into the dimension.

-Hawkeye: Oh, hey, princess. Glad you could join us.

-Tony: I see you and Sam got acquainted with the guests.

-Cerise: Unfortunately.

Tony and Cerise to blast them, but the laser and energy go right through them.

-Black Widow: Repulsors don't affect them.

-Cerise: Neither do my powers.

Cap punches one of the specters.

-Cap: But fists do.

-Tony: Our etherial bodies are on the same vibrational plane as theirs.

-Hulk: Finally, something I can smash!

Hulk blows off some steam by smashing the specters.

-Hawkeye: Why are they attacking us? Didn't we get jumped already?

-Cap: We can handle a few space phantoms.

-Hawkeye: Space phantoms, seriously, that's what we're calling them?

-Black Widow: "Creepy Ugly Bad Dudes" wasn't a better suggestion, Hawkeye.

-Thor: I do not care what they are called. They will fall.

-Tony: They're not here for us. They're here for that.

Tony points at the portal.

* * *

The phantom avengers tinker with the portal machine.

-Phantom Cap: We've established the dimensional bridge. The rest of our brethren amass on the other side.

-Phantom Tony: What's the delay?

-Phantom Hawkeye: The barrier is more resilient than expected. We need more energy to punch through.

-Phantom Hulk: Did someone say punch?

Phantom Hulk goes to the portal and starts breaking it, but Sam interrupts his progress.

-Sam: I'm shutting down your dimensional doggie door.

Sam blocks the portal and is about to destroy the machine, but...

-Phantom Tony: Go on, brave little bird. Shut the portal and trap your team in limbo. Forever.

Sam sees the avengers on the other side.

-Sam: They're alive?

The phantoms start hurting Sam.

-Phantom Tony: I'm not the only one with weak points, am I?

Phantom Tony pulls off Sam's Redwing and tosses it aside.

-Cerise/Tony: Sam!

-Phantom Cerise: Pathetic. You're hardly even worth assimilating. But I'm sure someone will take you.

Phantom Hulk breaks the window.

-Phantom: We are free!

-Cap: Avengers, trouble!

-Sam: No!

-Tony: Portal is open, folks! You know what to do!

The avengers defend the portal from the space phantoms.

-Hulk: Stupid purple ghosts!

-Tony: Avengers, do whatever you have to. Keep those things from entering our world.

-Sam: Hey, space freaks. Never underestimate an avenger!

-Phantom Tony: Insignificant.

-Sam: Redwing mode.

Sam's Redwing activates.

-Phantom Tony: Toys won't help you.

The Redwing starts flying around the lab creating a tornado.

-Cerise: He's using his Redwing to create a vortex. He's pulling those phantom avengers right at us.

The phantom avengers go through the portal, but Phantom Hulk tries to stay in the lab. Falcon kicks him through it.

-Tony: I wish I would've thought of that.

-Hawkeye: Does this make Falcon officially smarter than you considering he survived the longest and got the phantoms out of the tower?

-Cerise: Hm, good point.

-Tony: It's not over yet. Falcon, what do we need to know about these guys?

-Sam: They have your strength, your equipment. But they don't have your skills.

The avengers stand across from their counterparts.

-Phantom Cap: I'll show you skills.

Phantom Cap throws his shield, but Cap catches it.

-Cap: No brains either. That wasn't very smart, soldier.

Cap throws both shields at Phantom Cap's face.

-Phantom Hulk: Let's be civil about this.

-Hulk: You do civil. I'll do angry!

Hulk punches his counterpart.

-Hawkeye: Hulk, a little help?

Hulk throws Hawkeye in the air and he shoots arrows at the other phantoms. Tony and Widow fly through the air, and Widow kicks the phantoms. Thor knocks his counterpart's hammer out of his hand.

-Phantom Thor: What good is a simple hammer?

-Thor: Simple hammer. Complex energy!

Thor summons lightning from earth to hit Phantom Thor and the other phantoms.

-Thor: Other questions?

Hawkeye and Widow get tackled by their counterparts.

-Hawkeye: Nice breath!

-Black Widow: Stark, energy blasts work on our doubles!

-Tony: Oh, that's cool. I'll figure out the science later. For now, badoosh.

Cerise is fighting her counterpart ferociously. Then she uses her electricity to zap her counterpart until she disappears.

-Cerise: I feel so much better now.

Hawkeye shoots an arrow at Widow's double.

-Hawkeye: Please tell me my breath doesn't smell that bad.

-Black Widow: I may be a super spy, but even I'm not that good a liar.

Cap throws his double and Falcon grabs him.

-Sam: Think I'm nothing, huh? Just remember who put you back here.

-Tony: We need to shut this door. Hulk, quit playing around and give us some elbow room.

Hulk uses a sonic clap to push the phantoms of the path.

-Hulk: How's that for elbow room?

-Tony: Works for me.

The avengers go back to the lab.

-Tony: You should do the honors. Shut it down.

-Sam: Shut it down?

-Tony: You're right. Blow it up.

-Sam: Thank you.

Sam destroys the machine and the portal closes for good. Then he sits on the floor. Cerise decides to join him.

-Tony: That was about your room, wasn't it? I'll have the stuff moved out.

-Sam: After today, you're building me a bigger room. Off the helipad. You can afford it.

-Hawkeye: (chuckles) Way to rub his nose in it. Speaking of which, did someone bake cookies?

Hawkeye finds Sam's box of cookies under the rubble. He grabs a cookie, butHulk takes it from him.

-Hulk: You got phantomed first. No cookie for you.

The avengers start fighting over the cookies again.

-Sam: There's no tower like home.

-Cerise: You said it.

* * *

Later, Cerise and Natasha are having their sparring session in the training.

-Black Widow: You can't always rely on powers. You need to know your hand-to-hand skills.

Cerise nods and lunges at Natasha. Eventually, they stop when they come to a stalemate.

-Black Widow: Not bad.

-Cerise: Thanks. After what happened today, I had a lot of steam to blow off.

-Black Widow: Glad you got the chance.

Cerise is about to leave, but Natasha stops her.

-Black Widow: Cerise, I hope you understand that you won't be able to keep your past a secret forever.

-Cerise: Yeah, I know, but what if the others don't accept my past? What if they kick off the team because of it.

-Black Widow: I'm sure they'll understand. Especially Sam. He is your best friend after all.

-Cerise: Yeah, he is. You still promise not to tell anyone, right?

-Black Widow: I'm a spy. Keeping secrets is my job.

Widow exits the training room leaving Cerise with a lot to think about. She and Sam have been friends since they were children, and she's afraid that Hydra will damage their friendship.


End file.
